Dr. Jill Carroll is a recognized expert on issues of religious tolerance, philosophy of religion, American religion, and religion in public life. Her areas of specialty include: the role of religion in world politics, comparative world religions, trends in American religion, the impact of religious diversity in global business, and applied life philosophy. Dr. Carroll earned her Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Rice University in 1994 with a specialty in philosophy of religion. She is the author of numerous articles and several books. Her book, A Dialogue of Civilizations: Gulen's Islamic Ideals and Humanistic Discourse was a Publishers Weekly bestseller in religion, having been in a “Top 10” category on Amazon in May 2007. She is a frequent guest on radio and television programs, and has been interviewed by The New York Times, PBS, MSNBC, and Good Morning America.

Akbar S Ahmed is the Ibn Khaldun chair of Islamic studies at American University in Washington, DC. He has written numerous books on Islam and is considered a leading authority on contemporary Islam.